seraphim

In a vision described in the Book of Isaiah 6:3 (NABRE), the prophet encounters God and then is sent to prophesy to the people. Attending God’s throne are seraphim who cry out “Holy, holy, holy.” When we hear of seraphim now, we think of angels, but what exactly is the difference between a seraph and an angel?

The word angel comes from a Greek word meaning “messenger.” The word seraph (or seraphim in the plural) comes from a Hebrew root that means “serpent.”

In the twenty-first chapter of the book of Numbers (NABRE), the people speak against God and Moses, and God then sends serpents to punish them for complaining. In the Book of Isaiah, the word seraphim is descriptive of the angels who appear before God.

How does knowing that the beings before the throne of God look like serpents with wings change your view of the scene described in the book of Numbers? How do you suppose it is that these beings also are identified as a type of angel? What implications does this have on your understanding about the exchange between Eve and the serpent in the garden of Eden?

related topics: kingdom of heaven; sin

you also may like our two-part study of the psalms
Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church provides an in-depth look at all 150 psalms based on The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, a translation prepared by the Benedictine monks of Conception Abbey and endorsed by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). This translation is being included in new Liturgy of the Hours books. Volume I currently is available only in a digital format. Click on these links to view a sample first lesson from Volume I and another from Volume II.

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